


Autobiography of an Unknown boy

by AshHossain



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, Crime, Detectives, DetectveLeo, LadyHongbin, Murder, Mystery, OT6, Psychological Horror, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Vixx - Freeform, all vixx, killer, leon - Freeform, neo - Freeform, slight romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2018-09-18 23:43:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9408002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshHossain/pseuds/AshHossain
Summary: ....Cha Hakyeon..... you truly are a genius...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Its not a typical story... At least I tried to make it a bit different, So I really wish you would read it till the end

The sky shifted from yellow sunshine to large splashes of orange and red until even they started dying out. The sun hadn’t set. Not yet. Sky a bit cloudy. The inside of the room was dark. It was considered to be ominous for a room to be kept unlighted at the eve of dusk. But Jung Taekwoon never gave a damn to those superstitions anyway. His logic to the reason of this unreasonable darkness was pretty simple. He felt lazy to get up from the chair and light up the bulb, therefore the room was still pitch black. He was also a bit perturbed at that moment.

And the lad that sat before him was the reason for this troubled Taekwoon.

He was covered in black from head to toe, wearing a rather obnoxious looking huge grim reaper hat on his head, making it almost impossible to see the face beneath it.  Although the lad had recently took that hat off to probably talk to him normally, the view had still left him quite puzzled. Because he couldn’t quite remember when the last time was that he had seen such a beautiful man. Even in this black atmosphere, he was beautiful.

Tanned skin. Small circular face. Lips pretty enough to be even casted for a lipstick commercial. It was rare to see men with such pretty lips. Eyes expressive, where the chocolate orbs sparkled with competitiveness. Eyelashes large enough to be compared to any female model.  But the eye lashes could have been fake. These days even males wore fake eyelashes. He had seen it on the television. The man had long neck. Longer than any usual man, Taekwoon included. There were a few moles on his throat. Although those could be fake as well, to intensify his beauty. Taekwoon couldn’t tell in the dark.

 “I’m Hakyeon. Cha Hakyeon.”

Jung Taekwoon repeated the name quite a few times in his own mind- Hakyeon, Hakyeon- rather subconsciously. His eye brow slightly furrowed. Why did he repeat his name? He couldn’t comprehend. Was he trying to remember his name? Why did he do that? Was it because of that latter’s unexpected beauty? If some ugly faced person were to tell his name to him, would he still do that?

  “Hakyeon, have you eaten lunch?”

  “No.”

  “It would be dinner time soon. I don’t have any dinner preparation made at my home.”

  “There is still water, right? You could at least offer me a glass of water, right?”

A soft giggle bubbled up from his throat. It was not an everyday incident for a pretty lad to also inherit a pretty laughter. Either it was their teeth which decreased the beauty or their smile being too wide which make it look horrifying. If all is perfect, then you could have found the sound of that smile being highly disturbing. Nature does not offer you with every blessing that there is on earth. But nature had disobeyed that law to bestoweth all its perfection upon him. His smile was beautiful. Even after his giggle was long over, his eyes still held onto that last trace of it. It was not a usual sight for Taekwoon.

 

Jung Taekwoon felt an uneasy pinch somewhere in his stomach. The lad had not eaten anything yet, and neither did Taekwoon have anything rather than water in his house to offer him.

  "Can I call you Taekwoonie?" 

  "Yes, you can…" 

  "Taekwoonie, don’t worry about my dinner. I believe it could somehow be managed." 

  "How?" 

  "I dunno. I’ve noticed it quite a few number of times, whenever I am hungry someone brings me food.     Even if that person is a total stranger, he will bring it for me." 

 

Taekwoon straightened up on his chair, eyes fixed on the lad’s eyes.

  "Hakyeon, what you are saying does not give any logical explanation." 

 

A chuckle left his lips, a bit deep in tone,

  "I talked about belief not logic though…”

 " Why don’t you just sit? I’ll go out to buy something…”

  "No. Just keep on sitting the way you are. You don’t have to go anywhere.”

Teakwoon stared at him, he was now slightly swinging back and forth now. He was sitting on a wooden chair, but judging his swing, it seemed as if he were to sit on a rocking chair. A teenage girl swinging like that could be appealing for some, but he was not a teenage girl. So for him it looked rather disturbing.

 "Hakyeon!" 

 "Yes?" 

 "You haven’t yet told me why you came here." 

 "I will…. After the sun sets completely." 

 "Will you have a problem if I lit up a cigarette?" 

 "Surely not." 

Placing the cigarette between his lips he continued- "If we were in North Pole, and you waited for that desirable sunset, I do not think you could have ever said whatever you want to say to me. There for six months is straight day and the other six month goes by being night." 

  "But we are not in South Pole now. We can think of it, when we go there. Do you want to have some coffee? Can I make you a cup of coffee? Those who smoke a lot prefers to drink champagne along with it. In some countries of South Asia they prefer to drink tea with it. But looking at your house, I haven’t noticed any kind of empty bottle of wine or champagne. And you seem like the type to prefer coffee more. That’s why I asked. If you want I could go ahead and make a cup of coffee for you."

 

He didn’t wait for Taekwoon’s approval, rather he stood up rather casually and wandered his eyes all around the room once,

 " Where is the kitchen?"

Taekwoon quickly came to some verdict. The traits that helped him to reach that conclusion were that the guy went to the kitchen barefooted. The slippers were left beside the chair. It meant that the lad walks around bare footed in his own house. Even in this unknown house he couldn’t abandon that habit of his, and he strode towards the kitchen bare footed. The floors of the house where he walks around like that should be utterly dust free, either marbled floor or the whole house covered with wall to wall carpet.

The lad was also swaying back and fro on a wooden chair. Probably because he had a rocking chair at his home. He spends a lot of his time on there. The habit is too strong to die down that easily.

The time when he stood up to leave, a light overwhelming aroma filled the room. He knew the scent. It was a perfume of a rich brand. He couldn’t recall the name.

The lad didn’t wait for his approval to go to his kitchen. He never waits for anyone’s approval. He is the owner of everything, doesn’t matter wherever he goes. He is not used to getting permission.

Taekwoon closed his eyes. Trying to connect the small dots to make a bigger picture. That was not a complex job for him.

The lad Haekyeon was definitely a respected rich character of his society, so he had definitely brought a car with him. And his car was most probably waiting for him outside. When it would be dinner time, the driver was most probably to bring him his food. He was sure of it. That is why he had not bothered himself by any of these thoughts.

  "Taekwoonie, your coffee is ready." 

Taekwoon took the mug in his hand.

  "I’ll send some people tomorrow. They would come and clean the kitchen- Hakyeon announced in a disgusted tone." 

  "I’ve never seen such a dirty kitchen in my whole life- he shuddered." 

He sat in his previous chair, viewing his watch.

  "Your driver is waiting with your dinner… you told him to bring it in when the sun sets. Am I correct?" 

  "Yes" - he grinned.

  "You spend hours in your house on your rocking chair. Am I correct on this term?" 

  "Woo~ Yes!"  - his eyes formed crescent while his grin got wider.

  "You are much more wiser than what I had thought of you to be. You are definitely the one to be able to help me. I’m not asking you to sympathize with me though. I do not ask for anyone’s sympathy other than the almighties. I’ll give you a proper award for this job."

 " You don’t take help from anyone else other than the lord?"

 " No."

 " But, he never helps one directly. He always conveys the help by someone. If you are sick you will go to doctor. If the almighty then wants to cure you, you will get the proper treatment and you will be healed."

 " WOW!" - he clapped, mouth forming a small ‘o’-" you are really good at debate. Therefore I would choose not to argue with you. What I am saying mainly is that I will give you the proper award for this job."

 " And that is?"

 " My apartment in Gangnam. It is a four bedroom apartment. I’ll give the apartment to you."

Taekwoon stared straight into his eyes. The latter also did the same. Taekwoon was 0nce again baffled by the man. It was his first time to meet a man who had not feared his eyes, rather he kept on staring back at him. No sign of blinking whatsoever. He was really good at this game, Taekwoon thought.

Hakyeon’s driver entered with two black lunch boxes in his hand. Probably containing his dinner.

The sun finally went down and he placed the boxes on his chair. Unlike the kitchen incident, he did not ask for the switches to light up the room. He straight went to it. Taekwoon realized it wasn’t the first time he came here. He came here before, probably to do enough inquiry on him.

There was no hesitation in his behavior. He knew what he was doing, he was confident about it. It didn’t seem like he had learned to be that confident about himself. He had inherited it since his birth.

Hakyeon was holding a chopstick in his hand, and munching his food with grave courtesy.  Taekwoon had lit up another cigarette.

   "So, have you agreed to take on my proposal?" 

The smile never left his face.

  "Which one? Solving mystery for your apartment?" 

  "Yup!" 

He nodded strongly.

  "I believe you have come here knowing all about me. I do not like to solve mysteries that much. Nature loves to preserve the unsolved. She doesn’t like it when the unsolved finds its solution."  \

He exhaled a long sigh, loud enough to be heard before replying.

 " Whether nature likes it or not. You do. And I have come to ask your help, not natures. So…help me."

 " Why should I?"

  " You will help me for yourself. You enjoy solving mystery. The more confusing the story is, the greater pleasure you receive. Currently, you have nothing better to do. What you do is just sit on that chair of yours and smoke. Your life is lacking all kinds of thrills that is there to lack in a normal human’s life. So by solving this, you will, even if it is for a brief moment, you will be freed from this boredom of yours. Even that is expensive, don’t you agree?"

 " Yes, I do…"

 " Your lifespan is quite the same as me, but look around you. Living in a rented apartment with one room. You probably do not even have any air conditioning system around here either. Even in winter you have to suffer a lot. Now if you own an amazing apartment, where you will get an amazing air conditioning system, don’t you think that would be better?"

  " This is still good enough."

 " Okay!"- he released another sigh of defeat-" If I were to be your best friend at this moment instead of a stranger and came here asking for help while crying, would you still refuse to help him?"

  " You are not crying." 

  " If you want I can do that as well.  I’m good at that. Do you want me to show it to you?"

His tears were already welling up as they threatened to fall over. Taekwoon felt a bit alarmed seeing the tears forming so quickly. So he accepted defeat silently.

  " Tell me the problem."

  " Thanks! "– His eyes immediately began to sparkle with satisfaction. He wiped off those tears with the heels of his hand. Taekwoon was really appalled at the latter’s behavior.

  "It’s all written in here" - he said as he brought out a brown paper bagfrom his bag.

 " I’m leaving this file to you. I have given my phone number in there. When you have finished reading it, just give me a call. But, if you find something confusing in this story then also make sure to inform me of it. I’ll run here to remove that confusion of yours"- He smiled brightly.

His driver entered the room to take away the leftovers.

  "You don’t have good silverware or nice mugs, cups in here. The next time I come, I’ll bring a new set." 

Taekwoon took the file in his hand. It almost contained a hundred pages. The whole writing was in English. Headline read-

                    _Autobiography of an unknown boy._

Hakyeon blushed profusely- I copied the title from someone else. An Indian writer called Nirad Singh has a book named- _Autobiography of an unknown Indian._ I copied it from him.

     "Did you study in English?" 

     "No… I studied in Chemistry. I got a Ph.D. on Chemistry from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. I can understand that you are quite shocked. You thought I was a lot younger, didn’t you? But I’m 27, the same age as you. Now I want to shock you a little more. Wanna see?"

    " Go on."

   " I also wanna smoke. If you permit me that is."

  " Hm."

He shoved his hand in his pocket and brought out a packet of smoke. He also took out a lighter, and lit the smoke in a casual way.

Taekwoon didn’t get any shock from seeing him doing that. He never smoked. He did it to surprise him. The package was new. He didn’t even know how to light the cigarette up properly. And the moment the smoke hit his lungs he started to cough. His eyes red in high.

   "Are you angry at me for smoking?" 

   "No…" 

   "Annoyed?" 

   "No…" 

   "Please don’t be mad. Don’t be annoyed either. Albeit I brought this lighter and cigarette for you but yet I didn’t feel like missing the chance of surprising you." 

He was almost pouting. Taekwoon looked at him with no change of expression in his feature. The latter was doing everything that he as a man should not do at that moment. But rather than disturbing he found it quite amusing and enjoyable at the same time.

   "Can I leave now?" 

   "Leave." 

  " You better promise to start reading it from tonight!" 

Taekwoon just nodded at his demand.

He kept on standing. Taekwoon could see no trace of him even moving a muscle.

   "Anything else?" -Taekwoon finally said.

   "You are rather different from what I had imagined you to be…." 

Taekwoon perked his eye brow- what had you imagined?

     "Prideful, scary……..angry……I never thought that you would agree this easily. Thanks……  Thanks a lot."       

++++++++++++

 

Taekwoon looked over the autobiography. It was written using too many heavy words. If he were to put it in simple words the autobiography actually were to sound something like this:

_ The autobiography: _

Father had named me as Methane. I was Methane and my little sister was Ethane.

In my childhood, if someone were to ask us our name there would always be a fun reaction of it. The person would become rather confused by knowing our name and would be confused some more and say- I’ve never heard this kind of name before. What is the meaning of your names?

I used to reply with all my childish energy to explain my name to that person that - Methane is Hydrocarbon. Its chemical formula is CH4. And my little sister is Ethane. Ethane’s chemical formula was CH3-CH3.

That person would again receive another shock, bringing all the delight on my childish amusement,

Who gave you these weird name?

My father did. He is a chemistry teacher.

My father, his name is Jaehwan. Not too large for a man, but not too short either. He is taller than me however quite slim in form though. He has a rather huge nose which would be the first thing to notice when your eyes fall on him. He looked really cute. Adorable. Lovable.

When he talked, he sounded like a real kid. Students used to call him cupid.

My little sister was quite sassy for her own pretty face. It was not easy to catch her actual sassy nature only by looking at her. One day she had called father as Daddy Cupid. Father only looked at her for a while back then, not even blinking once. After a few minutes he finally managed to utter- "what are you saying my daughter?" 

And then Ethane’s eyes teared up and she cried repeating the same sentence, “I’ll never say it again” over and over again. Father had to pat on her head for quite a while just to calm her down.

My cupid father was a great man. Not only great, he was better than a great man. He used to love both of us siblings a lot. There are some human in this world who are born with some noble virtue such as love and affection but failed to show it. He was not one of them. His love was visible in every movement of his body. He never failed to express it. Even after mother’s death he never remarried. Only thinking that we would be hurt.

He was never the type to have blind faith in religion before. But after the death of my mother, he surprisingly got interested in it. Going to church, reading the bible every day, doing unknown rituals at dead night, all started gradually. His new nickname turned into a cupid nun. Why nun though…it still remained a mystery to me.

Too much faith in religion undoubtedly brought some changes upon him. He started suffering from OCD. Even after bathing he would feel that the floor that he had stepped on was unclean. So he again washed the whole floor and took another bath again. This disease was a dangerous illness. His illness increased as days passed by. And along with that added another illness- seeing-the-Lucifer disease. From time to time he started seeing the Lucifer around our house. He started saying that Lucifer had chosen this house on his own account. And his only motive was to keep father away from doing religious activities.

One day, after the sun had already set to the west he called us. Both of us were shocked at the sudden call, because after the sun set, it was rare for us to even see his face, he would just sit in his room and do something. We couldn’t tell.

We went to sit before him. He sat on a rug. We sat a little further from him, on the floor. All the windows and doors were closed, darkness ensued inside of the room as if to prove that there was no living being still breathing in there. A small candle burning before father. He started talking, carefully as if someone would hear, voice barely above whisper-

"I’ve called you to tell you something, my children. Please listen to it carefully. Lucifer, the Satan has taken its place in this house, I have already met him a few times by now. I have also notified you of this. And I believe you will soon meet him as well. But I do not wish for you to be scared, and that is why I have called you here."

Ethane replied while grinning widely, -" father, if I were to meet Lucifer then what should I call him? Lucifer oppa?"

Father looked at her with incredulity hearing her words. There was no change of expression on Ethane’s face though, she yet kept that smile painted on her face, dimples smiling along with it.

" Which class do you read in my daughter?" - Father asked.

" High school first year." 

"A girl who is in high school is rather old enough I believe. Is it okay for her to always make fun of everything?" 

"No father." 

"Do you know who Lucifer is?" 

"Yes father. He is also known as Satan." 

Father interrupted, "no. he is not completely a Satan." 

Ethane was about to say something ridiculous again, but I squinted at her, signaling for her to stop. Father continued, "we have to be careful. Lucifer always hurts human in his most weak spot. He is not able to do any harm to me. But he will try to hurt you to harm me. Because you both are somewhat a part of my own beating heart. And that is my weak spot." 

Before father could even finish his talking, Ethane chimed in,

" Father can I leave? I have something important to do!"

" What?"

" I need to play games with my friends. It is the time we start playing."

" What do you play in there?"

" Just battle and etcetera." 

"Why do you need to play Etcetera?" 

"I love playing these etcetra father. I mean what can I do father? After all I myself is just an etcetra type of girl." 

Father voice deepened as he replied stonily, "Okay. Leave." 

Ethane immediately stood up and left the room. Father looked at me and said,

"You can leave as well, son." 

Slowly Ethane was getting too much engrossed in unnecessary stuffs. She had even started smoking. Every night before going to sleep she would raise the cigarette before me and say- "oppa, wanna try? Just once! Why are you looking at me like that? If olders can do it than high schoolers can as well. If you want, you can tell father as well. I don’t care. What could he do? Beat me up and lock me up in my room? I couldn’t care less about that."

The fact that she didn’t care about anything at all was proven to me after only a few days when she took out a packet containing some powder like content from her bag. And after that a can possibly containing beer.

" Oppa…choose… which one?"

What are those? - "I asked eyeing both of the things in her small hands." 

"This is beer," - she said shaking the can of the said content and then shook the packet of the powder - "and this is heroine." 

I stared at her in utter disbelief, it was obvious of what use both of the said things were but I really didn’t want to think of my sister actually using them nor did I understand why she would use them.

"You are drinking and taking drugs! Even I’m not old enough to drink. Why would you?" 

"Hmm…so what? It’s not like I’m drinking every day. Neither am I taking drugs. I just wanna try them one time to know how it feels like. And as for drinking, in Europe America people start drinking even from a younger age." 

"Who gave you these?" 

"Someone…what will you do with a name?" 

I looked at her bewildered, as she kept dangling her legs from the edge of the bed. Her wide smile shining on her face, along with the dimples. I thought to myself, that maybe father was right. Lucifer must have really started working amongst us siblings.

It was a must duty for me to notify father about her activities. But I didn’t for some unknown reason. Maybe Lucifer had something to do with it as well.

It was after six more month I believe. During the fall. It was raining cats and dogs outside. Us, two siblings had just returned home after getting soaked to the bone in the rain. We were ruffling our hair with a towel and then Ethane told me something ridiculous, "oppa, if I have a daughter then what should I name her as? Chemistry related name. Do you like the name Propane? What if it’s a boy? Why don’t you go and ask father!" 

"First get married. Then have a child, and then I can ask it from father,"  I replied to my sister jokingly, thinking it was just another of her little childish questions. She was still younger than me after all.

"But I need to know now." 

"Why? Why now?" -I realized my body suddenly got stung by an unwelcoming high tension, but I yet tried to keep my tone normal.

"I need to know now because I have a child in my womb" - she declared firmly, and I failed to see any lie in her eyes. I froze.

"Don’t joke around." 

"I’m not. Go and tell father, right now!" 

"Binnie, everything has its limit" -  my tone slightly above the usual. Binnie was a name that I used to call her by when she did something wrong. It was maybe because I didn’t want to believe my little sister Ethane could ever do something wrong, so I tried to blame it on the other person called Binnie that I had created. Silly right?

"Who told you that lie? Does the universe have a limit? No. it doesn’t. There is no limit to a human’s love for someone. Neither does hate has its limit. Even pride can’t be bounded by a limit." 

"Stop! Just stop it Binnie!"  - I cried.

"No I won’t! Oppa, I need a name! If father doesn’t choose a name then I’ll go and ask Lucifer. Won’t that be amazing? If Lucifer gives me a name like Mucifer for my child by matching it with his name, will that be great? Won’t people laugh?" 

+++++++++++++++++

Father’s room was again dark. The doors and windows once again closed. The light of the room was also turned off. But there was a candle burning beside the bible. Father was sitting with a rosary in his hand. He turned to me, just when I entered the room. Lighting up another candle between us, so that we could see each other’s face, he started- "the hard truth that you have come here to tell me, say it quickly. I feel like I know what you are about to say. If you are having trouble with the candle light, then I can blow it off as well." 

His voice still had an adorable tone, when he was saying that he knew about the harsh truth that I was about to say? I doubted it.

"No need to blow out the candle…. It’s somewhat soothing…"

He didn’t put his rosary down, neither did he look at me. He kept his eyes fixed on the candle, a small shadow flickered on his face.

I finished my talking. There was no difference in his expression, all he did was ask if the dinner was ready.

I looked up to with great incredulity, after hearing such a daring truth I didn’t think there was any father in this world who could actually ask for dinner’s preparation.

"Do you really want to know about dinner now?" - I asked rather loudly, anger lacing each word.

"I’m rather hungry. I thought maybe you are as well." 

"Will you say anything about Ethane or shall I leave? Do you need some time to think about it?" 

"My daughter does not have any fault my son… it’s all the work of Lucifer. She needs to be saved from the hands of the Lucifer. She needs to bathe in holy water. I do not believe he will do it easily. You have to-" 

I raised my hand in exasperation to stop him-" I think you cannot see the actual problem here father. Ethane said- she has a child in her womb. What are you going to do about that?"

" What should I do?"-he asked.

" I dunno father! This topic is too much complex for even me to understand" - I didn’t even know when my voice had became that thick.

"The boy who did this to Ethane, bring his address and name to me. I will surely marry her off with him. If needed I will get on my knees, beg just to get him to agree." 

"The boy who did this, I don’t believe he is a good one father. Will you really marry my sister off with him?" 

"Yes. I have to. It will save her dignity. Dignity is a huge deal my son. You just bring me the address and name. And listen, if the dinner is prepared, then throw it away. We would fast today in the name of almighty." 

He blew out the candle, and a daring silence ensued across the room. I walked over to Ethane’s room

Ethane was in her casual mood. Holding a kitkat in her hand, she dangled her legs from the edge of her bed. The moment I entered the room she said-" oppa! I downloaded a new horror game today. Silent Hill: the shattered memories Wanna play together?" 

"No. I have talks with you" - I replied.

"We can talk while playing the game. Wanna eat this chocolate?" 

"Father has asked for the boy’s address and name." 

"Which boy?" 

"The one with whom you did this magnificent piece of work, that boy." 

"Which magnificent work?" 

"Listen Binnie! Don’t kid around with me now. You know very well about what you have done!"  - My patience was at its limit.

Ethane started giggling. Which soon escalated into a full volume laughter and she rolled on the bed in an attempt to cease it. I found myself rather confused." Why are you laughing?"

" It was fun to make you a fool, that’s why. Oppa! I haven’t done anything with anybody. I just wanted to see what reaction you would give me by hearing this complex matter, and what would my father even say on this" - her words barely understandable through her laughter. I remained dumbfounded.

"You made this story up?" 

"Yup!" -she finally sat down, wiping a drop of tear from the corner of her eyes- so what did our Cupid nun say? Did he faint?

"I let out a deep exhale that I did not know that I was holding in. She again asked in a cheery voice, now, will you play with me." 

"Hmm…. I think so..." 

"Thanks! It’s not fun to play scary games alone I think. It’s fun if someone is watching. And seeing you play would be amazing, considering how jittery you are." 

I groaned, a grumble from the base of my throat- "I’ll go and tell father about what a play have you played on us. Tch.." 

"Please do so! And do tell me what cupid nun does after hearing this happy news." 

I again entered his room. Lighting up a candle I went to sit beside him. I was quite shocked to see his feature though. Face pale as if he had seen a ghost somewhere, droplets of sweat formed on his forehead, his body trembling a bit, and lips quivering probably because he was reciting something of Bible. He signaled me to keep quiet.

I waited till he stopped reading and looked at me, his eyes rather filled with an unknown kind of sorrow, his lips parted, "my son…. I just had a conversation with Lucifer. He told me that, my daughter would deny this story now. She would act as if she was joking around, pretend to lie, but that story is real." 

"When did you talk to Lucifer?" 

"Right after you left my room. Did Ethane tell you that it was all a lie?" 

"Yes…" 

"Do not believe her words…" 

"And I am to believe a Satan?" - I retorted back.

"In this case we have to. Satan Lucifer always mixes lies with the truth. He does it in a way, that nobody can ever differ the lies from the truth." 

"Even humans do that father…" 

"They do. But their attempts somehow fails one time. It’s almost like oil and water, you can always see the two different layers. But you can never distinct milk from water. Once they are mixed, they are joined at the hip, and that is what Lucifer is capable of doing."

" One drop of lemon juice is all it takes to separate the water and milk from each other father"- I reminded him, thinking perhaps he had forgotten it.

"Not everyone has that lemon juice my son. Enough, I do not want to go on an argument with you about this topic. I do not have that kind of energy within me now. You were to play games with your sister, go and do that." 

"Did Lucifer informed you about us playing games" - I asked curtly.

"Yes." 

"Did he tell you what type of game? Name perhaps?"  – I possibly couldn’t believe that, could I now?

"He didn’t give any name, just said that it is supposed to be a scary game." 

Without giving me any further chance of asking any sorts of questions he stood up, blowing the candle out before me.

We didn’t even realize that it was 2:00 am in the night when we finished playing. Fixing the dinner table I went to call on father. His door shut from the inside, even after I had knocked for quite a times there was no sign of him opening that door.

I looked over at Ethane, she hadn’t eaten a single bite, chopsticks muffling with the rice in the bowl.

"What’s wrong? Won’t you eat?"  - I asked, trying to sound as much as casual as I could.

"I feel like vomiting oppa. These days whenever the smell of food reaches my nose, I feel like puking"  – She replied.

I kept staring at her, unable to find any words. She stood up from the chair, but didn’t leave. She just stood there, holding the chair with one hand and other on occupied in playing with her hair strands.

"Do you have anything else to say?"  – I asked just to make sure, if there was still anything left to say at all.

"Yes…. Before playing the game, the story that I said was fake was real oppa. I really am pregnant. I did a test and it came out positive." 

I didn’t say anything. Well more like I couldn’t. Was it fear or was it surprise that was evident in my eyes at that time, I couldn’t tell. But for the first time ever I had noticed regret in her eyes.

Ethane continued –" I know, that you guys would want to marry me off with that boy. But that is not possible." 

"Why?"  - My voice barely above whisper.

" ‘Why’ that is something that I cannot tell you. There is no explanation for everything in this world." 

That was the last thing that she had told me that day. And a rapid terror grasped me, my heart beating fast making my body jerk, I found a shiver run down my spine, finding it hard to breathe. Everything that happened rather seemed so surreal to me as I just realized that misfortune was yet to visit our small home before it torn apart our small family for real.

[the end of chap 1]

Taekwoon closed the file, Lit up a cigarette, Walked up to the kitchen to put a kettle on the stove to boil water. The night was still not that deep. Perhaps 9’o clock. At 9:30 pm his dinner would arrive. Fried chicken. That is all he gets for dinner, sometimes beer comes along with it. But he doesn’t enjoy that, he was never a drinker, and he did not wish to be one. The chicken always held the main spot. It was not as if he had a maid or slave. He just made some arrangement with the nearest chicken place owner. The dinner is always on them. He enjoys their food. Taekwoon thinks that they make prepare his food with special care. Well he had a reason to think like that though. The reason was the owner, Han Sanghyuk. He would always bring the food by himself and only leave after he had done eating. He gossips with Taekwoon about a lot of various topic with severe consideration. There was no flow in these chats. Each day a different topic. Like yesterday’s topic was – "why are all bat use echolocation to find food." 

Taekwoon replied that, not all bat do that. In fact some don’t even use it. There are bats who can see.

Sanhyuk snorted back- "Taekwoon-sshi, I know you are a very intelligent man, but in my whole life I have never seen a bat being able to see. So how could you say such an illogical statement?" 

Taekwoon didn’t bother quarrelling with him. You could never make a blind believer see the light of truth. Sanhyuk was fond of him a lot. He just could not insult that fondness for such a trivial matter now, could he?

Sanghyuk had gifted him a mobile set last week. It was not as if he had brought a new set from the market and gifted it to him him though. One of his customers had left his mobile at the store so he had changed the number and brought that phone for Taekwoon as a gift.

Taekwoon asked- "what if the customer returns to get his phone back?" 

"He left it in the morning, and then returned in the afternoon to get it back! We said that we haven’t found anything like that" - Sanhyuk giggled. There was still a childishness working inside of him that betrayed his manly sharp appearance.

"Is it right to do this?" 

"Of course it is! You won’t walk around carefully! Won’t keep your stuffs in its place, and would expect others to keep it healthy for you!" 

"I won’t keep it-"  Taekwoon sounded deflated.

"Why won’t you? You didn’t steal it. I’m giving this to you as a present." 

"I am in no need of a mobile." 

"Of course you do! It is the realm of technology! I’m giving you as a little brother. And you must keep it." 

Taekwoon didn’t want to get into any further trouble so he kept it. But he yet had to use it, because he never truly felt the need of.

But he could really use it now. He needed to ask a few questions to the lad named Cha Hakyeon.

  1. His father Jaehwan, if is he still alive or not.
  2. If there was anyone else living in that house except for those two siblings and their father or not.
  3. The whole thing that Hakyeon had written, was it true or not. His writing style reminded him of fiction. A fiction writer, always have a habit of mixing various types of color even when he is writing the truth. And it becomes hard to differentiate the black and white from the mixture of all shades.



Lucifer had a chat with their father, told him that they were to play a scary game within moments is undoubtedly a lie. Whether it was Jaehwan who lied at that time, or Hakyeon lied to make his writing a bit more mysterious.

He would have asked Jaehwan another question if he could. He once said that Lucifer ad Satan are different and then once called Lucifer the Satan. Did he really say it in his own subconscious or was it just something that Hakyeon had used to express his words. He needed to know that.

Hakyeon’s description seemed a bit sour to him as well. He was moderately certain that the time Hakyeon was writing about, _Silent Hill: the shattered_ _memories_ was not released by then. Jung Taekwoon does not play games. But Sanghyuk once forcefully made him play this game, because it plays with people’s nerves. And according to Sanghyuk, Taekwoon also has an amazing ability to get on people’s nerves. Taekwoon could not tell if that was a compliment or insult though.

Hakyeon said to call him if he had any question. The stolen phone that Taekwoon had in his possession, morally speaking he could not bring himself up to use it. Albeit he did not start reading the second chapter either. Let the problems of first chapter get solved first, and then he could start with the second. He was waiting for Cha Hakyeon.

++++++++++++++++++

A middle aged man was cleaning the kitchen. Jung Taekwoon could hear the sound of broom running across the floor, he could hear the water running, the stinking smell of phenyl across his face. Even his bedroom was awarded with a lot of change. New bed sheet, new pillows. Everything was rearranged nicely, properly. All his books have been transferred in the new bookshelf. The previous broken bookshelf have been kept in the balcony for now. Probably going to the junkyard from there.

A new side table have been placed beside Taekwoon’s bed. A table lamp on it, and an alarm clock beside the table lamp, followed by a crystalized ashtray.

The place where a few wooden chair was placed for guests to come and sit down, perhaps have faced the most daring change according to him. Floor covered with a red colored carpet, two comfy couch facing each other. And before them was an expensive rocking chair. Hakyeon was sitting on it then. He wore a red turtleneck with grey jeans. He was giving all the orders by swaying on that rocking chair. Taekwoon was sitting before him with a coffee mug in his hand filled to its brim, with great amusement in his eyes as he looked at his place being reconstructed.

Other than the middle aged man, Hakyeon also brought in a teenage boy of 11-13 years old. He was very active. Name Wonshik. Taekwoon had thought that he couldn’t talk. He hasn’t seen him utter a single word by then.

"Can you leave this house for one day?" - Hakyeon asked.

"Why?" - saying that Taekwoon wasn’t taken aback by the sudden request would be a lie.

"I am going to distemper your house. These old curtains have to be replaced, also there are some jobs that needs to be done with the doors and windows…" 

"Ow… I see…" - Taekwoon nodded.

"After giving this a lot of thought- Hakyeon stood up to stand next to a window, finger running on the wooden frame, - I realized that even if I do give you a new apartment, you won’t go there. You would prefer to stay in this one roomed house of yours –"  he looked up at his fingertips. A thick layer of dust somewhat smiling at him, he scowled –" So I’ve decided to fix the place that you would live in. That is for the best isn’t it? "– he turned to Taekwoon dusting off that grime from his finger.

" Yes…"

"I’m also leaving Wonshik here. He will keep this place steady from now on. He is also good at cooking. You can do grocery one day a week….actually no… he can do that as well. You won’t need to go out to do grocery anymore. I even brought a 12 CFT refrigerator for you, along with a microwave oven. A worker would be sent here to set the connection."

Taekwoon somehow shook his head. It was barely a nod but Hakyeon took it as an agreement from his side.

" But isn’t that child labour? He is 11…"

" It doesn’t matter. He knows house works too well. I feel like the electrician will have to change the main electric line as well. Because an AC would be attached here - he smiled – the AC is not for you though. It is for me. I can’t stay too long without AC you see. Since I would frequently visit you, and spend some time with you here, hence I’d need to care about my accommodation as well, right?"

" All day sitting in an AC room…this habit of yours must have grown onto you after your marriage, right?"

" Yes…. My wife is quite rich you see….I think she herself dunno how much money she has "– he giggled.

" Is she sick now?"

The giggle stopped, and tremor took over. Yet he tried to keep his voice stable while asking Taekwoon the next question –" why would you think that she is sick?"

" Just…"

" No… you did not say it for _just…_ You do not speak without thinking."

" That boy….he is the reason. The way he swept the floor, he was making sure that his steps were light. So that it doesn’t disturb the silence that he was accustomed to. It’s already woven in his mind that he is not allowed to make a sound when he works, It can only mean that the place he used to work before, your place, there was someone who is sick enough to not to be able to even take a single sound normally."

" That sick person could be my mother in law, or father in law or my own father as well instead of my wife."

" Yes they could be…"

" Then why did you _specifically_ asked for my wife? Why not them?"

A small chuckle left Taekwoon’s lips.

" Don’t laugh"- Hakyeon demanded- give me the answer to my questions. I am asking for an answer!

"Why?" 

"I want to know how you solve mystery. No… I want to learn it." 

Taekwoon replied as he took a sip from the coffee mug that had been left untouched in his hand by now-

"Hakyeon, the only thing that I do is find the holes in someone’s logic. When I find it, I think about it. I think about why it happened, and then I notice the hole in someone’s behavior." 

"What’s that?" 

"Like, you know… someone who is a lot jolly suddenly turning all gloomy. That is the loophole of his behavior." 

"What else do you see?"  – he again sat on his rocking chair, but not swaying, eyes locked into Taekwoon’s.

"And the last thing I notice is how much truth that person speaks. Humans are not angels. They never tell the full truth. They all lie… but there are also two types of lies." 

"Two types?" 

Taekwoon observed the other one’s face. His eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm now, a little smile playing on the corner of his lips.

"Hmm… Direct lie.. and the type of lie that you cannot consider as lies." 

"I don’t understand" - Hakyeon said placing his elbow on his thigh and resting his chin on his palm. Again not suitable for his age, but managed to look good anyway.

"Meaning, you are telling a lie, but you have accepted it as the truth. This type of lies are not frequently told, but mostly written." 

"How much have you read?" 

His eyes no longer focused on Taekwoon. They looked at somewhere in the distance,

"1 chapter.." 

"How was it?" 

"Good…" 

"Quite Good or so so?" – his eyes again back to its previous fixationm voice held a sharp edge to its tone.

"Quite good." 

"If quitw good, then why did you stop after one chapter?" 

"I found a few problems in that chapters. After that is solved, I’ll again start." 

"I’m listening… - he tilted his head a little youthfully, chin still rested on his palm." 

"You said that you two played Silent Hill: the shattered memories. I do not believe that the game was released by then. You inserted lies in your writing. Well, if there was one lie, that means there could also be a hundred over there. This is good enough for a fiction to me, but a autobiography, by which I am to fix your problem… I do not think this is that kind of writing."

" If you find the faults then I will fix them for you"- he beamed.

"But I’m unable to find all faults." 

"There are no faults though"  – he laid back on his chair, upper lip protruding rather cutely –" let me clarify the game topic. That night we two did finish a scary game, but I was more scared. The name was in English. But when I started writing I couldn’t recall the game’s name. Hence the name of the game that I had played recently, is the name that I have used. Was it really that much of a big deal?"

" For me, yes. The smallest hold the most importance. So that means you still play scary games?"

" Yes.."

" Both of you used to?"

" Yes.."

" When your father said that he talked to Satan Lucifer, you believed it?"

" Yes, because he doesn’t lie. Anything else?"

" Still alive?"

" Yes."

" Still religious?"

" Yes…"

" Lives with you right?"

" Yes… at this age, I do not wish for him to live alone. Why would _you_ think so though?"

" Guess… two children. The daughter died, and the son is still alive. So he will live with the alive one, that is only normal."

"You just said that you read only the first chapter! - Hakyeon scoffed –" The fact that Ethane is dead is written at the end. That just means that you have read it full but saying that you have read only one chap! Liar! "– he squinted at Taekwoon, who also laid back on his chair, legs crossed over another.

"I only read the first chapter" - he replied in a calmed tone – the first chapter is enough to understand that the sister you are wriytig about is not alive anymore.

"Okay… lets say you are right." - he said deflated.

"Anything else?" 

"Nothing at this moment. But I want to meet your father.." 

"I wont let you meet him. Why? I wont reply to that so don’t ask" - Hakyeon snnounced jolting up from his chair. Taekwoon took a small sip from his mug again as he said,

…..hnn…

The clock’s hands slowly made a turned towards 11. His whole body humming in a comfortable warmth. It was raining outside, a cold breeze entered through the window, creating a chilly atmosphere across the room. Taekwoon had covered half of his body with a blanket. It could have been more comfortable If he had covered his body to his throat with that blanket, but that would create a few problems for him to read the book. Well, not exactly book though, he was going to read the autobiography of Cha Hakyeon tonight, second chapter. Albeit the way his eyelids felt burdened was quite informing of how he would not be able to read much of it.

Wonshik was standing by the door.

"Son, you can go to sleep" - Taekwoon told him only a few moments ago, but he didn’t. Most of the time he couldn’t recall the name Wonshik. He calls him son that time. He didn’t try to sound rude, but his tone always betrayed him. And he tries to act as much as nicely as possible. He thinks if that was his own child, even he wouldn’t have taken care of him the way this kid was. Like today during dinner, he had to finish it standing near the stove. Because Wonshik wanted to serve him hot meat wrap straight out of stove. He put a single piece of meat straight from the pan into the lettuce and fed him. Taekwoon was glad they he wasn’t cooking outside, that could have been really dangerous for the kid and tiring for him in this cold weather. There was practically no need for this type of love.

Taekwoon opened the file, with that also Wonshik opened his mouth – "Appa, do you want anything else?" 

   "No. You can go to sleep, son." 

He instantly hid behind the door frame. Everytime that 27 year old man would call him _son_ tears would start to well up in his eyes. He didn’t want anyone to see that tears of him.

"Appa, do you want beer?" - again peeking inside Wonshik continued.

"Don’t call me appa. Appa is someone who is married to your mother, calling me that is not only a mistake but also wrong. I don’t even have a wife for you to call me that." 

"I don’t care! I will only call you _appa."_

Taekwoon heaved out a sigh in defeat, - "Okay. Call me whatever you want. Do you know how to read and write?" 

He slightly shook his head.

"I’ll teach you how to read and write. You seem quite like a genius, you will be able to learn quickly. Now go and sleep, I can’t read when someone looks at me." 

But he didn’t, rather he brought a wooden chair from somewhere and sat by the door, with a small grin on his face. From there he could see that block of wood type man clearly. He just started reading-

He flipped the pages. In the beginning “2nd chapter” was written. Only this one little sentence was written in Korean, othes were in English just like before.

The Satan Lucifer, for whom all my father’s concerns were, I saw him one day. He was tall, black. He had worn a blue colored polo shirt. He had the face of a person who had suffered from fever for a long long time. His eyes sparkled like fox in the dark.

Let me get to the story.

We siblings were the only ones at the house. Father was absent. He didn’t live at home on Saturday night. He used to spend the whole night in church.

Just in case we don’t get scared, a pion from father’s college used to stay with us. His name was Youngi. He was suffering from some disease I believed, hence he couldn’t see properly at night. He used to come home on Saturday evening, and after coming he would straight go and sleep on the couch, pulling a blanket over his body. And woke up in the morning. Although he had to be awaken once during the night for dinner though.

I think my writing is getting a bit messed up. I’ve written the later story before the previous one. Ethane saw Satan Lucifer before me. I should write her story before, then I’ll write mine. One Saturday night, holding a hair brush in her hand she came and sat before me, asking,

"Oppa, how much brave are you?" 

"I believe I’m quite brave. Why?" 

"Hmm…you have to be braver oppa, if you become a coward, then you’ll get in trouble. Every Saturday night father will leave for the church, and you will be left alone in here." 

                                                     

 "Why would I be alone? You are here!" – I replied.

"I won’t be here. I’ll die soon. I’ll die in order to abort this child, or Lucifer will kill me before that anyway." 

"Do not speak gibberish, Ethane!" – I growled.

"I’m not speaking any gibberish oppa. I know Lucifer lives in this house. I’ve seen him." 

"Where?" 

"One time on the terrace, one time in the kitchen. The one in on the terrace was different from the one in the kitchen. The terrace one was pure black and the kitchen one was pure white." 

"Ethane! Do not try to scare me!" 

"I’m not. I’m just telling you exactly what I’ve seen. Wholly! Not even missing a single punctuation in between." 

"No need" - I said waving my hand at her.

"There is need! You’ll be able to be cautious if you know from before. Or else you’ll freeze when you’ll see it suddenly. I’ll tell you what I saw on the terrace first. On Saturday evening, I couldn’t find my sweater. All of a sudden I was reminded of the fact that I left it to dry up on the terrace. Not only sweater, there were two more skirts of mine. As I went up on the terrace, I found the door of the terrace closed. I pushed on the door, but it won’t still open."

" Where was I that day?"- I murmured under my breath.

" You were in your room that day. You had really high fever, so you slept the whole day away sleeping under a single blanket. Remember?"

I made the face as I replied –" NO!"

" Wait, I’ll remind you. You had a really high fever, but yet father left you to go to the church. You became really sad about it, now?"

I nodded in affirmative.

" Look what you have done, you just destroyed the flow of my story. Don’t interrupt me anymore. Ask after I have finished it whole. Where was I again?"

" Couldn’t open the door… 

"Ah! Yes…. The door.. I was slamming on it real hard. I reached a point where I felt like just door apart. But since I couldn’t , I thought of returning back. I only had taken two steps and the squeaky sound of the door being opened on its own flowed towards my ear. The fact that this was a paranormal activity, did not even cross my mind. I almost went to the terrace jumping. There I saw the Satan, standing in the middle of the terrace. Looks quite like any normal ugly human being, just his throat was unusually long. The thing that actually frightened me to death was that, that thing was naked. Because of being too long, the throat was bending over the body a bit too much. Seeing me that naked beast started to walk forward. I should have turned around and run for my life, or at least scream with the last bit of energy left in my body, but I couldn’t. As if I was somehow paralyzed by fear. I just stared at it, without even blinking.

In horror films, these types of beast walk really fast, fly through the air. But that naked beast was walking on it toes, almost like when a baby first learns to walk. His steps were uneven, as if it will fall on its back any moment then. It was when he was standing right before me, his scarce hot breath raffled my hair, then sense poured into me and I asked myself what I was doing. Without any hesitation I ran around, almost jumping on the stairs."

Ethane exhaled a large sigh and I realized I had been holding a breath of my own.

" That black thing didn’t follow you?"

" No.."- she shook her head from left to right.

" How about father? Have you informed him about it?"

" No."

" Why?you should have? Why haven’t you?" - I was starting to panic.

"Just didn’t feel like it…let me tell you what I saw the second time." 

"Not today….later…."  – I said lying on my bed, back facing her.

"No!" - pulling me up by my arm she made me sit up on my bed, and she continued – "I’ll finish saying it today. Who knows, if I’ll be in the mood to say this story on that other day. It was again another Saturday. Father, as expected, out of house. Only us and that sleepy Youngi. I fell asleep early that day, because my tummy was hurting, without eating any dinner. So I woke up in the middle of the night thanks to the continuous grumble of my stomach, notifying me that I was hungry. There was food in the fridge. So I was mentally having an argument inside of my mind about whether to sacrifice my sleep in order to feed my stomach, or to ignore my stomach and again try to fall back to sleep. Sleep won, and I covered myself fully with the blanket. Then I heard noises coming from the kitchen’s direction. Someone was meddling with the dining chairs. I even heard the tap water running and hitting the sink’s surface, you know that splatter sound? That sound! I sat up, turning on the lights I walked out of my room. The hall way was pitch dark, so was the kitchen. But even a little kid could tell that there was someone standing there. His back towards me, a plate before him, eating something. I whispered – who’s there?

He stopped, and turned his head to me. A face of a human but eyes of a hyena. Seeing me, he again turned to continue what he was doing before, eating. Like, the fact that I was there did not make any difference at all. Then I woke you up, asking you if I could sleep on your bed with you that night or not. You were baffled but agreed anyway, remember?"

" Yes…"

" Do you remember how I didn’t let you sleep that night? We spent the whole night chatting, laughing, then before the dawn I started playing a Japanese movie on the tv. We watched it! Remember?"

" I do.. "– my voice only above a whisper.

" Next day, in the morning , I saw a plate half empty on the table."

" What food?"

" Just the usual, rice and omelet."

" Angels eats rice and omelet?"- I scowled..

" I dunno what angels eats  and what they don’t. also I’m talking about Lucifer and he ain't an angel."

" Lucifer is a fallen angel.Can’t it be possible that you yourself had eaten it but then saw a nightmare later?"

She didn’t reply, her face showed an unreadable expression, as if she was not entirely denying my words. She was always curious on this topic, what angels eat? What they wear? She used to ask father that type of question very frequently, and father being the lovable one he was, used to get annoyed a lot. But never replied anything.

"Father, what does the angel eat?" 

"Dunno my princess…,"  he used to reply with a feign smile.

"You are a religious person. How can you not know?" 

"I may be religious, but I still dunno a lot of things my daughter." 

"Then ask the one that knows. Ask the father of the church." 

"Do you not feel bothered to talk about this ludicrous topic?" - That was one of the rarest moment when I saw my father looking at her with sheer disgust.

"You never talked about this with anyone, so how would you know if I’d feel bothered or not." 

"Don’t disturb me." 

"Until I find my answer, I’ll keep on doing so." 

"What will you do with angel's food?" 

"I’ll gather all his foods and then display it on the table. So that he could come and eat. I’ve also decided to write two books on it. One’s name would be- the food of Angel. And the next one would be– Health and Nutrition for the angel. The last one would be a recipe book."

Father blinked at her several times before finally parting his lips a little.

" I think your mental health is at risk my daughter"- he mumbled.

"It’s only the start…just you wait.."  – Ethane replied firmly.

We didn’t have to wait that long to see how her sickness was rapidly spreading its wings. From some kind of teacher, she had learned that Angels like sweet things. Angels visit the sweet stores such as cake shop or chocolate store at late night and leaves by paying for all the sweets. That is why these shops could be found open even at the late of night.

Every night, before going to sleep Ethane would keep 29 candies on a plate and keep it on the dining table. Every morning the first thing she would do is count the candies to see if there were still 29 on that plate, or it was missing one or two. The secret behind the number 29 was that it was her birthday, 29, September.

It was on the morning of the fourth day, that she started all the fuss. The reason was instead of 29, there was now 28 candies. According to her, Angels had eaten one. She was jumping from excitement, while I squinted at the plate hard. I whispered into her ears,- "I do not think that Angels ate it." 

She furrowed her brows – "why?" 

"The way you have described their love for sweets, I think he wouldn’t have left right after eating only one candy. Also.... There is a glass of water by the plate" 

Ethane’s face dropped, as she strode towards father. She asked dryly- "father, have you eaten my candy last night?" 

Father faltered before murmuring, "only one… couldn’t resist the urge…" 

Ethane started bawling over that simple matter, and father became frustrated asking her repeatedly why she was crying so much, - "there were still 28 more candies for the angels." 

Ethane did not even touch a single drop of water that day. And that night, we didn’t find even a single candy left on that plate of hers.

And right on the next week, I saw the fallen angel or Satan Lucifer, talked to him. I’ll write bout this incident in detail.

One day in the winter, I believe. It was raining that day, along with hails. Thanks to Ethane I had to bathe in the hail. At first I thought I’d get out of the rain only after a few minutes, but thanks to Ethane’s craziness, I could only get out right after I was soaked to the bone. Result, I was blessed with a horrible migraine, along with fever. Ethane always kept medicine with her. So I opened the door, to go to her room, take the medicine and if possible also share her bed with her. I had a bad habit of not being able to sleep alone, when I got ill.

I stopped as my gaze dropped on the balcony. A man wearing a long sleeve button up shirt and blue jeans pant sat down on our wooden swing. He had thick brown framed glasses on his eyes. Hair a light shade of brown. A calm faced person, seeing him it seemed as if I had seen him somewhere before.

It was 2:00 am in the morning. Nobody reads a newspaper at that hour that much tentatively. I walked up to him, - "who might you be?" 

The man, folding his newspaper looked at me, a fake smile plastered on that face of him as he said, - "are you well?" 

His voice was not that deep, neither too sweet. It had a normal balance. There was no hesitation in his way of speaking. As if I were his all known buddy. Well, he also seemed like someone that _had known_ but I couldn’t recall. I again asked,-" Who are you?" 

"First sit, then I’ll say"  – he said, signaling me to sit beside him on that swing.

"I didn’t,"  - Do I know you? Have we ever met before?

"Surely we have. I’m Satan Lucifer" - And he burst out into a howling laughter.

It was then when I realized that I was just dreaming. Surely Satan Lucifer won’t get all dolled up to sit on my balcony and read a newspaper at 2’O CLOCK IN THE MORNING . The fear that I obtained by seeing him at first vanished in an instant.

"Ow, Are you well Mr. Satan Lucifer?" - I asked with a smile.

"Why are you not sitting Mithu? Or would you prefer Yeonnie more? Please sit…" 

And again I was shocked. My name was Mithane, but there was one per who would call me by those two name. When I was in high school first year, he used to teach both of us math. His name was Park Hyoshin. The one that I have taken as Satan Lucifer, was none other than our private tutor Park Hyoshin.

"Did you recognize me now Mithu? We Satans can take the form of many people. And I decided to take the form of your very _favoriteone."_

"He was never my favorite one"  - I retorted back.

"Of course he was. Do you not remember how he slid his hand in your clothe to wrap around your waist, while tutoring you one day. Despite of being a man you enjoyed it. Or did you forget how an odd sensation ran down your whole body when you saw him touching your own little sister’s bare thigh with his fingertips on the very same day. Your breathing became fast that day, seeing another man sexually harassing your own _sister._ You didn’t say anything, you enjoyed it all. Kept quiet and saw how your sister trembled with his each touch, how his smirk grew wider to see your sister in that vulnerable state. Hahaha.."

" It’s true that I didn’t say anything to him that day, neither to his touch. But the reason was because I didn’t want to embarrass him. Since you already know so much, then you should have also known how that was the last day when Park Hyoshin hyung ever entered my house as well."

" Why are you getting so angry Mithu?"

" Don’t call me that?"

" Okay, I wont. Come sit, let’s have a chat."

" I do not wish to."

" Even if you don’t you have to. There is nothing called your will here anymore. Whatever I wish is something that you have to agree on. So, now that I have told you to sit, sit down."

So did I did. I sat down right beside him, the place where he signaled me to sit on.

" Now, what shall I gossip to you about?"

I didn’t reply, was too baffled by the words that had already left his mouth. He leaned on me and exhaled, his hot breath raffled a little part of my hair, a shiver ran down my spine.

"Before going to the complex matter, let me talk about a simple mistake of your sister. Your sister thinks Angels eat sweet. But no, be it fallen angel or actual, no one eats food like how human eats it. Human eats meat, rice ,fish, carbohydrate, protein and so many things. Trees only eat water and sunlight. A few types of cactus also takes in water. But only sun light is enough for them. They all live the same earth but so much difference"- he said getting his face away from mine.

"Your sister needs to understand this. You cannot judge everyone by the humane logic." 

"Have you finished your useless babble? Or is there more?" 

"Now that I have finished the knowledge sharing seminer let’s get on with the Doubt sharing one." 

"What?" 

"What is the work of Satan? He sows the seed of distrust into people’s heart. A human’s heart is the best soil for distrust to grow on. It doesn’t even take a few days for the plant to start growing its branches, amazing, right?" 

"You want to plant a seed of doubt in me?" 

"Yup… A doubt about your mother…" 

"what?" 

"Listen carefully, surely it wouldn’t have affected you even a bit if I had informed you about your mother before, but now when your father is this much into religion, and your sister is in that state, surely your mind is affected as well. And now it’ll make more sense to you than ever before.

Now answer my questions, have you ever seen your mother’s grave? Say no. Because I know the answer is no."

" No…"

We really have never visited her grave, because it was situated in Jeolla-do, and we haven’t actually had the time to visit that.

" Are you certain that your mother’s grave exist? Have you seen her being buried?"

" No…father took it alone all by himself. We were both sick at that thime. Ethane was suffering from pneumonia." 

"Any relatives from your mother’s side…has they ever visited you? Again say No- because I know the answer of this question as well." 

"No…" 

"Now, if we put together all the broken pieces, what picture do we get? Now if I said that your ideal religious father had married a prostitute. But that lady never gave up her job and you two…being the children of her, never contained any of your father’s gene anyway? That explains your tanned skin and your little dear sister’s dimple mystery so perfectly…HAHAHAHA!!"

" Don’t laugh!"- I cried! My voice thick from unshed tears.

" Why? It’s fun? Two illegitimate children of a religious father, and among them even one is holding another illegitimate child in her own womb! Ha ha ha!"

He was laughing. That deafening laughter only increased in sound. As it got louder, his face started to change with it. His skin turning dark, fangs sticking out, as his hair started to turn red. A familiar aroma filled the area. I couldn’t recall what it was.

"Can you smell something? Surely you can? The perfume bottle in your room. Your mother used to apply it at nights sometimes right? HAHAHA! Listen Mithu, I’m leaving now. Of course we will meet again… we have to.. Just like you liked your teacher, I also loved him. And the next time I come, I will surely make sure to wrap my arm around your waist, letting your bare skin feel the touch on my cold fingertips. You will surely enjoy it. Okay sweet heart…"

" It’s all just a dream. It’ll all go away as soon as I wake up.. go away!" – I cried.

" I’ll go away either way, I still can’t keep on holding a human’s form for that long you see….But, it is not a dream. People can’t smell within dream. But you did… You smelled the aroma of your mother’s seductive perfume. If it was a dream, then where is this scent coming from? But before leaving, what have you thought about your sister’s abortion though? Its getting too late. If you want I can help. It wont be that hard to push her off from the edge of the terrace. But I don’t like to kill people. I like to play with them. Killing them means ending the game. I don’t like it. I want to see them playing games… And seeing them I want to laugh! Hahahaha!!"

I woke up with the sound of laughter. The smell of my mother’s perfume was coming from my own clothings. Yesterday night I was missing my mother a lot, so I applied it. It made me feel as if she was with me, sleeping by my side.

After exactly one week, Saturday, father again getting ready to leave. It was almost the eve of dusk. Ethane entered the room with two cup of tea in her hand.

"Oppa, let’s go.." 

"Where?" - I asked peering over the book that I was reading.

"Roof…. I like to drink tea during the evening, while sitting on the roof. But I’m scared to go alone. So come along." 

"No" - I replied.

"You have to" - she insisted.

Ethane will say something, and won’t make sure that will happen, is something impossible. It’s impossible to say to her. I had to go there. Our terrace was really beautiful, almost like a small garden. There were a few numbers of flower bushes decorated there. A few alliums were in full bloom. They looked beautiful. She even planted carnation’s in a corner, it’s rare but they actually used to bloom in the winter, even though they were on terrace. Mother had always loved the carnations. Whenever they were in bloom she would come on the terrace and look at them. It was sad that they were not in season then.

We siblings sat down there and took silps from our tea. Ethane looked really happy. Well, not like she was not always jolly, but today she seemed extra excited. She said – "Oppa! I’m going to give you a fun news today. Shall I?" 

Something fun according to Ethane meant something extra annoying to us. I perked my eye brows at her.

"Our mother was really not that much of a holy princess you see… I feel like she was a hooker.." 

"Who told you that?" - I asked sharply.

"Nobody, I myself found it by acting as a lady Sherlock Holmes. The closet in father’s room, where all her belongings are kept… I found some dresses that I do not think normal ladies will wear. I even found some love letters. Approximately 10! Every letter started with – Kyungri. A little too much extra sweetness in those letters. The fun in reading father’s love letters are really on another level. I brought one with me, wanna read?"

" No."

" If you read it, you will feel good. Extra sweet just like tea made by you."

" Is it okay to read the love letters of our parents?"

" No… but we do not do the correct things all the times. Oppa, don’t look at me that icily. I lied a little, I didn’t see through any closet or anything. Satan told me. I think we have earned ourselves a truthful Satan."

" You really believe that Satan is telling the truth?"

" Yes… father himself is the proof. I asked him honestly, and after awhile, he started saying everything like a little toddler. Actually, father is scared of me I think."

" You are the type to be feared"- I replied taking a sip from my mug.

"Hmm… Even Satan is scared of me. He calls me little noona." 

"Little noona?" 

"Yup… even I take him as a little brother. We chat for awhile. You know something oppa? Every story that Satan says has a deep moral. Interesting. Let me tell you a story by him. If you fail to see the fun, I’ll change my name into formaldehyde. The chemical formula of Formaldehyde is HCHO, right?"

"I stood up on my feet. Getting ready to escape this crazy conversation.

Ethane tugged onto my clothes, -" oppa are you leaving? Wait till the dusk arrives. Then you will see something fun."

" What fun?"

" The place where mother jumped off from, I will also jump off from there. All your problems will be over. You won’t have to think about this child in my womb anymore. I talked with Lucifer on this matter. He said that the idea was appealing. Hehehe."

There was no meaning in talking with her about this matter anymore. Father called from beneath, probably because he was leaving. I went down. I just locked the door behind father and turned around, and the sound came across my ear. The sound of something heavy falling from up. I feared to turn around and look. And that is how my little sister Ethane had met the end of her life.

A post mortem was done on her later, there was no child in her womb. The whole story was a joke made by her.

++++++++++++


	2. Chapter 2

_Third Chapter _

Death is a scary matter. Was there anything more fearful than death? Surely there was, And I started to experience it. Ethane died in the evening and the cops took father away at night, 10:00pm. The officer in charge said that a lady telephoned them to know that he clearly saw a man wearing yellow dress pushing Ethane off from the roof. She lives in an apartment next to our house. She didn’t want to reveal her identity. And she doesn’t want to say anything more on this topic. She wants that the police will investigate this matter thoroughly. After a lady, there was a call from a male, who said the same thing.

I protested- "the time when this incident took place, father was standing before me. I was standing inside of the house, and father outside, the only thing between us was just a door. We both ran to the spot after hearing that loud bang. So how could he?" 

"We understand your words, but we have to investigate." 

"The person, who had just lost a daughter, his only _daughter_ , you are taking him away. At least take him after a few days. Why today?" 

"It has to be done today. The faster the better." 

It could have worked if I had offered him some money, but at that time, I didn’t think of it. They took father away. Not only father also my little sister. Her death was unnatural, she needed an autopsy.

I stayed in my house all alone. All types of unknown people entered the house. Entered and got out. Not a single familiar face. Meanwhile some reporters with camera also invited them in. a bright flash, they took a picture of me. I lost control over my rage.

"Get out of my house! Every single one of you! Everyone that enters the house, I’ll murder you" - I sneered.

Maybe to prove my theory right I brought a huge dagger from the store room. Seeing my crazy state, people actually got out of the house, but didn’t leave totally.They started to create a small gathering outside of our entrance. Some people even threw pebbles at our house’s direction. The cops did one job correctly before taking father away though, they left two officers to guard the house.

When father was being taken away, he seemed normal. Too normal, for someone who had lost her daughter and was now being taken away by the cops. He was certainly too normal. He just had his head down all the time. He just told me in a whisper once- "Have you seen what Lucifer is able to do? Be careful." 

"How?" 

"Just call the almighty. Hope he will come to help. Turn on every single light. Make sure it is never too dark. If plausible even light up the candles." 

I wanted Satan to come. To talk to him. To know what he actually wanted. There were no obstacle for him to come today. After all, my house was now nothing but a desert and I was the only bandit walking inside this oppressed darkness.

He didn’t come. At 12:00AM father returned. The cops dropped him in front of the house. One of the officer in charge was a student of father. Because of him, he, without any extra trouble got released. But they didn’t return the dead body of Ethane. Her autopsy would be done at 10:00pm, tomorrow morning. Before that, there was nothing for us to do.

I don’t remember what the time was back then. I sat on Ethane’s bed, the only light that filled the room was the light from the table lamp. Her bed was a total mess, one of the pillow was on the floor, clothes all piled up under her bed. Four of her paintings were framed on the wall. A green village. Sunset by the see. A boy with a flute. A picture of an angel. There was a photograph of us two siblings as well. A picture of us standing at the sea shore. Waves were crashing on our feet, she wore a pink Japanese maid dress. There was some cosplaying competition going on some nearby venue that day, that was the reason for her costume. Her beautiful white skin and thin legs looked really beautiful in that picture. However it can’t be seen now, father had covered that part with a tape. He didn’t prefer her daughter to show any part of her skin anymore.

I felt really weird. I was sitting in the room of a dead human. The smell of her body, still fresh, lingering inside of the room, but that person was no longer here. Father was crying and reciting bible,I believe. I felt numb, the emptiness reminded me of how death had visited this house.

Where have they kept Ethane? The thought crossed my mind so many times in my own subconscious. I wanted to kick that thought out, but failed miserably. I didn’t know how a morgue looked like. Was she lying down with many a few no named dead bodies? Or was she lying on the hard cold floor? Or perhaps operating table? The doctor will come in the morning. Take a scalpel in his hand. Then slowly run it across the white milky skin. Which limb will he choose first? Legs? Arms? Maybe he will start with her belly. Slickly running that scalpel across her smooth white skin, and then the red would flickered out of it, devouring the whole white with scarlet…then….then I couldn’t think anymore. I felt the tears pricking up in my eyes. I shut my eyes tightly.

A knock on the door. A very light knock, and a small one. As if trying not to disturb this silence. I asked – who?

Somebody from the other side of the door replied in a meek tone – Oppa, can I come in?

I knew that voice. It was Ethane’s, a little trembling, the type that you can hear when someone tries hard to stop crying. I again asked in a deep voice – who?

Another reply from the other side, "Oppa, if you promise not to get scared, then I’ll enter. Can I?" 

I didn’t reply. My brain was not working properly. Was it because I was sitting in her room and thinking about her that now I was in daze? Was I hallucinating? What should I do? Call father? Or tell Ethane to enter the room?

The door started to open, her hand can be seen. A watch on her white wrist. She wore watch that day. A brown watch. She jumped from really high. The glass of the watch should have been broken by now. But it was okay, as good as new. The door slowly opened up even more, the squeaky sound of the door almost seemed deafening in the silence of the room. Now she was in full view. Her large expressive chocolate eyes, dimples visible on her fair milky skin.

"Oppa, are you scared?" 

"No…" 

"They kept me in a cold box. I got scared, so I left. I wont be here for too long. Oppa, can I sit down?" 

I nodded.

"Can you turn off the light? I can’t see properly, the lights hurting my eyes." 

Like a robot I raised my hand to turn the light off. The room didn’t become fully dark, a light was still shining on the balcony. A little splatter of that light was coming through the window. Ethane was completely visible in that light. A small doubt formed in my mind about her being actually Ethane. Was she Ethane? Or was she Lucifer in the form of Ethane? Or was it really my imagination?

"Is father crying?" 

"Hmm…" 

"I came here to tell you something oppa. After that I’ll leave." 

"What do you want to say?" 

"Please be careful. Satan Lucifer will kill you. A little careless, and he will target you." 

"How can I be careful?" 

"Keep him confused! So confused that he could never understand you." 

"How can I keep him confused?" 

"Keep him so much confused like he could never tell what you are planning to do next. I wasn’t a genius like you, but you are. You can make him really confused." 

"Bennie, I’m not that genius.." 

"Then do one thing! Go to someone who is really a genius!"  – she smiled. She smiled even after being dead. My heart snapped, seeing that smile of her, a smile that only Ethane could manage to give. It was painful.

"I don’t know anyone who is actually a genius, Ethane…" 

"You dunno now, but you will know in the future. You will meet someone who is a super genius! Ask for his help then!" 

"How would I know that he is a genius?" 

"Ask him a riddle! See, if he can give the correct answer or not. First start with an easy one, then gradually move to the hard ones! Oppa, start with this one-

Say so the poet Kalidash,

Who knows where he walked to,

Don’t have it so you eat it,

If you had it then what would you do?"

Ethane burst out into laughter. Just like before, a sweet loud laughter. Just like she was before, the type of sun shine girl…my sister… her laughter was loud. Surely the sound has reached father’s room as well.

Father stopped. He walked towards my room, his footsteps could be heard. Ethane said,- "Oppa… I’ll leave..bye.." 

Father entered the room calmly, his eyes puffy and tear stains still visible on his cheeks.

He tried to sound calm – "why are you laughing, Methane? Are you not feeling well? Take two sleeping pill and go to sleep, son…."  he sat down by me. I laid on her bed, facing my back to him. He pulled the blanket over my body, making sure it covered every bit of skin of mine. His hand slowly caressed my back, I only breathed.

" I started to sob hard, but it sounded like a laughter…" 

Father murmured- "you were crying? But it seemed like a girl’s laughter to me…. I suppose people really do lose their mind in the time of danger….what have I heard when what I should have…it felt as if.." - he stopped. His voice broke, a low chuckle left his mouth.

"Father, can you do something for me? Take me to the morgue… I’ll stand outside…." 

"It won’t be the right thing to do" - father replied, quite surprised by my words.

Why?- I sat up, looking straight into his eyes – "Of course it’ll be the right thing to do… Your daughter is lying there all alone! She is scared!" 

Father stared at me for awhile, before answering – "how will we go there? Its too late…" 

"We can surely find a cab… if we can’t then we will walk there." 

"Let me think…" 

"There’s nothing to think father! Trust me, Y-your daughter, my si-sister is really scared… Please trust me FATHER!" - I winced.

"What will you do by going there!" 

"Read the bible! That’s what you told me to do when I’m scared right? I’ll do that!" 

It was 3:00 am in in the morning, when we reached the morgue. The guard easily let us in, no trace of shock evident on his face, whatsoever. He surely had seen a tons like us to come here for their dead beloved ones before.

" My sister’s dead body is in the morgue…. Can I see her once?" 

"It’s not allowed." 

"Can’t you try?" 

"Well… if you give me some tips…. I can open the lock… but you can’t go near, just a glimpse from far…. But still we need the permission of the supervisor.. Without permission it’s not possible… not even if you give me a thousand dollar… my job will be gone…but it’s rare for him to stay this late…"

" I’ll give you the money… go and find him…"

The guard actually found the supervisor. He opened the door with a password. I handed his 400 dollars. He asked for 200 more, for the guard.

I silently gave him what he asked for. I entered the morgue with him. An 100 watt fluorescent light was lighting up that huge empty white room. There were only three dead bodies in there, all covered in white from head to toe. Ethane said that she was kept in a box…she was wrong.. They were all kept on tables. A strong scent of phenyl filled the room.

I slowly took two steps ahead with trembling legs, eyes searched for signs of knowing which one of those three was my sister. The supervisor said, "Ethane is in the middle." 

I whirled around to see the supervisor, eyes wide to its maximum. The supervisor was not supposed to know the name of _Ethane._

A smirk at the corner of his lips.I asked through my greeted teeth, "who are you?" 

"You came to see your sister… What’s the use of that question? But it would be better if you do not see her though." 

"Who are you?" 

"I’m your tutor. My name is Park Hyoshin! The one’s touch that you had enjoyed once…now have you recognized me?" 

"Yes.." - I took a step back, I didn’t know why.

"I don’t have any business with deceased people though. What I do is with living ones, the ones whose heartbeat raises when they fear me – his smirk widened – like you. But I still came here. For your sake, since you want to see your dear sister so much… then please _do_ see her."

What happened next was something beyond horrifying. Ethane screamed from underneath the white cloth –

" Don’t you dare see me oppa! Please! For God’s sake, don’t you dare!"

I immediately fainted on the floor. By the time I came back to my senses I found myself lying on Ethan’e bed. A blanket over my body, a ceiling fan still running over my head. I could hear father saying something from the next room. Going to the morgue, viewing Lucifer, fainting, they were all either my dreams or my imagination.

But yet there was a simple small error somewhere. Wait, it won’t be a proper conduct to call this error _small._ I go to the morgue with my father in the morning. The guard that I had seen last night, he was still there. He informed us about the supervisor’s permission the same way he did last night. He asked for tips.

"How much" - I asked.

$400,  he replied.

Then came the supervisor, the same face that I had seen last day. After they opened the door, he asked for $200 dollars more, for the guard.

Last night I entered alone, today I entered with my father. The scenario was the same, three deadbody on the table, covered in white. I automatically walked up to the one in the middle.

Which one is my daughter?-I heard father asking the supervisor in a meek tone.

The supervisor replied with sheer annoyance – " the middle one. Don’t go near. I’ll show you the face, after that leave." 

I once saw in the autopsy report that there was nothing about a child in her womb. Just – A death caused by falling from height. And the places where she was bruised was written and described, Then why did Ethane do this? Why would she jump off from the roof? Was she mentally ill by chance? Did she somehow imagined herself to be pregnant? There are diseases like this according to psychologists or psychiatrist… right?

I once saw a movie with Ethane. The yellow snake. In that film, a lady suddenly start to feel that she was pregnant. The morning sickness, or all kind of signs for her to be pregnant also started to appear. She even did a pregnancy test, even that came positive. Then one day she saw a dream, a dream where she saw that the child that she was carrying was not a human, rather it was a snake. Terrifying movie.

Was Ethane suffering from something like this as well? Did she really think of herself as someone else just like I used to think her of as Binnie? Because I have a proof that she was certain about the child in her womb is real. She wrote a letter to her unborn child. I’m writing the letter exactly how she wrote it-

Dear HCHO,

Hello! Did you like your name? Formaldehyde! I’m your mother, Ethane! I’m a normal hydrocarbon. BUT you are a super reactive formaldehyde! If you pour Ethane in water, nothing will happen. Water will be just water. And Ethane will be just Ethane. But if you put Formaldehyde in the water – you have NO IDEA WHAT CAN HAPPEN!

You dunno how much havoc you will be creating only by being born! The only sad thing is that I won’t be able to see all these havoc at that time. Because I won’t be alive then.

                                                               From your mother.

Taekwoon closed the file and looked at the clock. 11:10 pm.

Wonshik was sitting with a book on the floor. Whenever Taekwoon studies, he also joins in. Taekwoon had already taught him the alphabets, now he can read the small words. He has potential for studying and making small childish songs with words. Taekwoon is really impressed by that.

  "Appa, Do you want coffee? Shall I make it for you?" 

  "Hmm… sounds good.." 

A childish beam flashed upon his feature. As if, doing even a simple task as this would make him the happiest person on earth.

  "Wonshik.." 

  "Yes appa.." 

  "Are you a genius?" 

  "I think I’m pretty genius…" 

  "Then how about a test. A quiz for you-

_Say so the poet Kalidash,_

_Who knows where he walked to,_

_Don’t have it so you eat it,_

_If you had it then what would you do?"_

  "Can’t solve it.." 

  "Then you are not a genius. I can’t solve it either. I’m also an idiot like you." 

  "It’s good to be an idiot, appa" – he replied firmly.

  "No, it’s not. It’s good to have intelligence, as sharp as a knife!" 

  "Sharp as a knife?" 

  "Hmm… just like a knife can slice through everything, your brain should as well! Like Cha Hakyeon. Don’t you think he is a real genius?" 

  "Yes he is. But he has problems in his head. I’m really scared of him"  – he whimpered.

  "Why?" 

  "He acts weird at night. Talks to someone! In a complete different tone!" 

  "How do you know?" 

  "I used to sleep in his room before. He lives alone. He had a small bed for me at the corner of the room. At last, I told him that I didn’t want to live in there with him. Then umma sent me to another room." 

  "Umma?" 

  "Ahh….you see he kinda acts like a mother…." – his fingers fidgeting continuously.

  "Hakyeon talked in a different tone sometimes?" 

  "Hmm!" 

  "What did he say?" 

  "I don’t know what he used to say! He used to speak in English! Appa, will you teach me English?" 

  "Surely! First let’s see if we can solve this quiz or not. _Say so the poet Kalidas-_ is there any hint in this?" 

  "Appa, who is Kalidash?" - He asked, his voice filled with childish confusion.

  "Kalidash was a huge poet of South Asia. Meghtdut, Shakuntola and many more of his books are quite famous. He was the poet of King Bricramadittya. Bicramadittya was also genius, once a demon asked him three questions. The rules were if he gave a wrong answer, then he will die. And if he answered all three correctly, then he will become his slave. Bicramadittya gave all the answers correctly."

 " What were the questions?"

 " I don’t remember currently. I just remember that the questions were mysterious but his answers were easy and normal."! 

Wonshik straightened up, and put his hands on his lap. Faking a salesman’s pose he said in a deep tone –" Demon can’t get away from you either. Even you will be able to answer them."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cha Hakyeon and Jung Taekwoon sat face to face. Hakyeon was on the rocking chair. Though his was rocking on it a few moments ago, he isn’t doing that anymore. His gaze stony, eye brow frowned, a small ‘y’ like shape formed between those brows. He seemed worried about something. But then the worry disappeared and he eased up on his chair.

  "Taekwoonie, do you know? Today is a special day!  "

  "It is?" 

  "You dunno?" 

  "Don’t think so." 

  "Not even after seeing the rice cakes I’ve brought for you today?" 

  "No" 

  "Wonshik wore a hanbok today. You still haven’t realize?" 

  "I haven’t noticed…" 

A giggled bubbled up from Hakyeon’s throat.

  "Taekwoonie, today is Chuseok. I wouldn’t have brought rice cake on normal occasion, would I now?" 

  Taekwoon replied in a troubled voice – "it’s been quite long since I have celebrated Chuseok, so…I forgot.." 

 " How about in your childhood? Didn’t you use to celebrate it?" 

  "Of course I did. New hanbok, new shoes.. I would always keep my hanbok by my pillow. I loved the scent of the new clothes… Even today, Chuseok to me, is the fresh smell of new Hanbok." 

  "I also brought a new hanbok for you. Wonshik has prepared the water for you, now go and finish your bathing. After that wear the hanbok. And wonshik will bow before you, as his older. Then you will eat rice cake with me, that is the reason why I came here and I’ll take my leave. Not alone though, with you."

 " Does Wonshik really need to do it?"

 " Yes! To me that is one of the most beautiful memory of my childhood. When I finished bowing before my father, he would bestowed one of his angelic smile upon me and Ethane would act like dying out of cringiness. Then he would give us New Year blessings, I would always receive 100 won less than Ethane." – Hakyeon pouted.

" Bathing, wearing new clothes, bowing – can’t we escape it?"

 " Surely we can. Why can’t we! But I thought you would listen to me. I suppose I couldn’t ask you properly. If I said it with a bit more emotion then you would have listened to me." 

  "You have said it with enough emotion. How could you say it with more emotion than this?" 

  "If tears started to roll down on my cheeks while I kept on reminiscing about my childhood memory, then you would have agreed in a matter of time. You work with logic, looks stoic but you have too much emotions"  – Hakyeon’s voice started to get deep from the unshed tears, he lowered his face. Taekwoon tried to take a glimpse of his eyes, there were tears welling up in those. He wiped it off with the back of his hand. His body quivered slightly.

Taekwoon’s lips slightly parted – "why don’t you eat another piece? I’ll go and take a bath. Gimme the hanbok that you brought for me, I’ll wear it and come out." 

Hakyeon removed his hand and an ear to ear grin appeared on his face.

  "The tears that you have seen right now, are not real. They are fake… the fact that your decision can be changed only by a few drops of tears, I wanted to prove it. That’s what the tears were for. I told you before, that I can cry very quickly, haven’t I?" 

 " Hmm…"

 " I’m an expert in acting, you do understand it now,right?"

 " Hmm…"

 " Ethane was even better! She could imitate any human’s voice. You could have had a lot of fun if you met her! Also she was beautiful, way more than you could ever imagined her to be." 

Taekwoon stood up in order to get a bath.

 " No need to bath. No need for wearing any new hanbok either. I won’t bring changes in your daily life. But, since its chuseok we can at least drink a cup of coffee together right? I’ll tell Wonshik!"

 " Hmm"

  "I’ll take Wonshik with me today. He can play around my house today since it’s Chuseok. It's a great deal for poor orphan like him. Ain’t I right?" 

  "I do not understand what you are saying. But you have good thoughts, so your reason must be valid." 

Wonshik entered the room with two cup of coffee. Hakyeon took sips from his cup, and Taekwoon lit up a cigarette. A small question was circling in his head, but he was unsure of asking it on this happy occasion. The question was about those two sibling meeting the Satan. They met Satan in the time difference of one week but the timing seemed off. The whole writing seemed like a hazard to him. Hakyeon wrote in the file that it was winter,when he saw Lucifer or dreamt of Lucifer. And right after a few days they went on the terrace to drink tea. He wrote about allium there. Allium shouldn’t be there on winter, carnations should. But Hakyeon clearly wrote that the carnations were not in season then. Even if they had met Lucifer, then who was it that met him before?

Hakyeon eyed him from head to toe as he put down his cup – "You seem as if you have something to ask? Your eyes are sparkling with confusion. You can ask me if you want to." 

  "No. it’s nothing." 

  "How much have you read?" 

  "2nd chapter" 

  "You had problems in first chapter, but found none in second?"  – he raised an eyebrow.

  "Not that much.. there were a few small ones… not important." 

  "So you found no important data from 2nd chapter?

 " There was one" – Taekwoon said, putting the cigarette but on the ashtray – "Your Satan Lucifer was a huge liar. He was not mixing lies with the truth. He was mixing lies within the lies. Your mother was never a prostitute. She was a school teacher, just like your father." 

Hakyeon asked in a calmed tone, a bit too calm- " I never wrote that in my file. Where did you find it?"

Taekwoon wanted to light up another cigarette but looking at his guest, he refrained himself from it, rather he took his coffee mug in his hand.

  "I have a hyung in Jeolla-do… I asked him, and he sent me a letter with your mother’s details." 

  "Can I see?" 

  "Surely…"

Taekwoon handed the letter to Hakyeon. Hakyeon started reading it –

Heyo dear dongsen!

It’s amazing that you remember me by! I was really shocked that you have sent a letter to me and not to your Junhyung Hyung or _Sungkyu Hyung,_ since you called them your _favorite_ hyung but not _me -_- ._ But yeah.. I was shocked.

Anyway.. let’s get to the main topic! After getting your letter I started looking for her. It was REALLY hard, since you only wrote her name as Kyungri, no _family name_ what so ever. But yeah, I didn’t have to look that hard. It seemed like she used to study in our own high school. And her husband’s name match with the name that you have written “Jaehwan”. Now don’t ask how I know our student’s husband’s name, I don’t wanna brag. But yeah, I had to dig through a lot of papers. For your information I had called ALL the students of her class to know about her family, marriage and job. I spent a lot of money. According to all, she was a very brilliant student! Did you know she passed from Seoul National University! Later she became a high school teacher. She got married with the very first boyfriend she ever got. They dated for 7 years and later got married. It’s so much rare to find this type of true love these days. And yeah, I have also visited her grave. She lies beside her father T_T

And yeah, that’s it. I suppose detective by hobby business is going well! I’m thinking of visiting Seoul… You better treat me then! And yeah… have you grown any taller? -_- I won’t meet a mountain when I see you right? I suppose that’s it. And do send me letter to know about my health a little as well, not only for _business_ purpose!

-_-

Your Dear STRONG lovely best hyung,

Yang Yesop!

Hakyeon peered over the letter to see the poker faced Taekwoon. He casually folded the letter in half and returned it to Taekwoon.

  "I never knew about this solving patterns of yours. I always thought that you would read my story and then solve it by thinking deeply. I really have never imagined you to ask information from other through letters." 

  "Hoping you have no problems with that." 

  "Yes I do! You need to ask me about every questions that you have, not to people! I will answer you truthfully! You cannot tell outside people about this!" – He replied sternly.

  "Okay." 

He said standing up – "I’m leaving. Do you have anything that you want to know from _me?"_

  "The electricity bill of your old house. I want to see them. The type of organized man you are, you surely have kept them with you." 

  "Do you need all of them?" 

  "All." 

  "I’ll sent them away." 

Hakyeon strode away from the house. He was supposed to take Wonshik with him, but he didn’t. Maybe he forgot.

He forgot another thing – eating the rice cakes with him. He had said that, that was his main reason to visit him today. Surely he was upset of something. Was it the letter by Yang Yeseop? Taekwoon just couldn’t be sure.

The day of Chuseok wasn’t completely ruined for Wonshik though. Taekwoon took him to the zoo. A little kid’s chuseok would be destroyed for him, it didn’t sound right. Wonshik never went to the zoo before. He was really appalled by seeing the animals. He fed the giraffe, ate four ice creams. It was almost impossible to move him from the monkey’s cage. Just like “ _Like dissolves like_ ” Taekwoon thought Wonshik also found his own kind.

"Having fun?"  – Taekwoon asked, rather expressionlessly, but Wonshik knew that he was also having fun.

Wonshik bobbed his head up and down.

At night, he went to the chicken place owner’s house with Wonshik. Sanghyuk looked as if he had seen an alien in his house. He stuttered – "wh-why have you come? I-if you wanted something then y-you s-should have j-just called!" 

  "Why? Am I not allowed to come?" 

  "What are you talking about? If it’s my house then it is also your house! It’s just! Where did you get my address?'' 

 " I have my links."

Sanghyuk arranged a huge feast for them. And Sanghyuk’s mother was highly pleased at Taekwoon. She reminded Taekwoon of his own mother.

After that Taekwoon had to watch an anime movie with them. Sanghyuk’s family watches anime movie with him on holidays.

Taekwoon wanted to skip the movie – "It’s your family night. How could I-" 

 "Who the hell said that you are not my family?! Show him to me! I’ll surely murder him!" 

The movie wasn’t bad. The name was “ _Garden of Words”._ Main genre romance, so I actually loved it. I  always had a thing for Japanese romantic movie.

After finishing the movie, Wonshik declared that he had only met two noble man in his life.

  " One is me..I can sense.. who’s the 2nd?

  " Umma’s appa! Jaehwan-sshi!"

  " Who’s best among us? me or him?"

  " He’s first!" - he declared.

He returned home at 12:00. A huge limousine standing out of his house. The car driver sneered at him, -      

  "Where have you been? We came here at 9:00 pm and it 12:00 now! How long did you intend to make me wait?" 

The temper of rich people’s drivers are always hot, and over that it was a holiday…

Taekwoon whispered – "Why? Problem?" 

  "Don’t know! I’ve brought your food! Take it!" 

Driver took out two large food containers from the passenger seat of the car.

  "We have finished our dinner…" 

  "Don’t need it then throw it in the trash can! I can’t take it back. Sir even sent you a letter. Here…" 

Taekwoon returned home with those food and the letter.

_Taekwoonie,_

_It’s an apology letter. I behaved badly with you on the day of Chuseok, didn’t even finish eating rice cakes with you._

_I think the reason is quite clear to you. I didn’t want this personal matter to be known by someone else. But I shouldn’t have behaved that way. Because I hired you to solve a problem, and you are to do everything that you need to do to solve it. So it is only natural for you to do everything in order to solve it. Beside. I did not forbid you to contact anyone either._

_I’ve sent some food for you. None of them are my cooking. Our private chef cooked them. The day I’ll cook, I will feed you by making you sit before me. I’m quite a good cook. The ones that study chemistry are all good cook. The reason? I’m sure you can describe it better than me._

_Maybe my father was a good cook because of being a chemistry teacher as well. You wanted to meet him right? I’ll make arrangement, and then you will be able to eat his cooking and meet him as well._

_Taekwoonie, be healthy, okay? Ah! Right! I almost forgot to thank you for something. Well, I’ll thank you now. You taught Wonshik how to read. He is a very good boy. I kept the boy to look after father, he used to love father a lot. Even father used to like him. But we have never thought that this boy needed education as well. But you thought of it. All this small activities are what that makes one exceptional. You are exceptional Taekwoonie…_

_From_

_Cha Hakyeon_

_++++++++++++++++++++++++++_

A professor of Psychology in University of Aberdeen in Scotland had sent Taekwoon a letter. The letter is like this –

   Jung Taekwoon,

   At first take my hearty welcome. I’ll apologies for the delay. It seems like you are yet again solving another mystery. Here I thought you would become a famous singer with that vocal of yours, or a famous athlete, but here you are solving third class mystery. That’s a job for the police not you.

Anyway, I’ll get to the main point. Yes, Cha Hakyeon did got a Ph.D. from our university on chemistry. The main topic of his thesis was “Colloid Science”. I also found out that he was a very brilliant student. He was given an offer to become a professor at this university, but he didn’t accept it. You asked to know about his mental state, I talked to a few people that knew him, all of them said he had no problem whatsoever.

Cha Hakyeon didn’t live in the campus area though, he used to rent an apartment nearby. At the end of his study session he brought in his father with him I talked to the landlady of the house, but what that old lady said was really ridiculous. She said that both him and his father didn’t sleep in the night. But I doubt it, here, the old landladies can hardly be found awake at night. They would get drunk and fall asleep. So how could she know what they did or not. Beside, a boy who had been doing a Ph.D. on a subject like Chemistry, it’s only impossible for him to work hard all day long and then not fall asleep.

Now, I think the information that I’m about to share with you now, will interest you severely. He had a huge interest in drama, or acting or theater work. He was once supposed to work in one of Shakespeare’s drama “The Ornet” but didn’t. He had worked in a movie as a mere Indian boy as well, although it was a small role. It was weird for a Korean to be hired as an Indian character. I believe it has something to do with his skin tone, or he is really good at adopting any language. I know you don’t have any gadget to play DVD. But I’ll still send you the DVD of that film. I haven’t watched it yet.

You really wanted to know, if he used to consult any psychologist or not. But I’m sorry to inform you that, psychologists do not release information about their own client. Therefor I can’t help you with that. I’d need legal permission for that.

Well, if you need anything more, now I’ll suggest you to _e-mail_ me. Letters might not seem like a problem to you, but it’s a troublesome. E-mail is far easier, far faster. So….Do it! If you need money, I’ll send you that either.

From

Ok. Taecyeon.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this story really bad?? it has so less readers. i suppose psychological story is not for ff ^^"

Taekwoon took out his stolen phone from a drawer and looked at the number written on the file. It seemed the stolen phone could come to a use this time.

  "How are you Hakyeon?" 

  "Fine, taekwoonie. What about you?" 

  "You don’t seem like it." 

  "You are right…. I’m not happy…..I’m really troubled now Taekwoonie…" 

  "Why?" 

  "My wife, her condition worsened a lot. I wanted to get her admitted into a hospital last night, but she didn’t agree. She told me that she wants to spend her last days in her own house." 

  "Is she sure that its her last days?" 

  "Even if she isn’t, I’m sure."

  "Why? Lucifer told you?" 

  "Not me. He told father." 

  "Coffee?" 

  "No…" 

  "You should. Because I want to. We should talk as much as we can today… I feel as if we wont meet ever again." 

  "Why? I’d always comeby Taekwoon-ah…" 

  "We wont because there won’t be any reason to. I solved this Satan Lucifer story. After knowing the answer, I do not feel as if you will ever come here." 

  "Already?" 

  "You sound disappointed." 

  "Already finished my whole file?" 

  "No… Only till 3rd chapter.

 " There are two more… won’t you read them."

 " No.."

 " Why ”no”?"

 " You wrote the whole story only to confuse me. The more I read it, the more confused I get. Just like Lucifer you also mixed lies with the truth. Hid many important information while described the most useless ones with such details."

Hakyeon kept quiet for some time, then finally starting in a tone that is barely above whisper," Just tell me what you have solved."

Takwoon laid back on his sofa –" well you yourself have already solved it, haven’t you? "

 " Yes…"

 " Then why come to me?" 

  "For confirmation…. I don’t have the trust on my intelligence as much as you have on your own." 

  Taekwoon casually stood up, stretching his back – "I’ll bring the coffee. Then let’s talk." 

  Hakyeon tagged onto his clothes to prevent him from leaving - "If you drink coffee now, then you will smoke in a matter of time as well. I’m not in a mode to inhale smoke now. Now quietly sit down and reply." 

Taekwoon sat down on his previous seat.

  "You can change your voice right?" 

  "Yes…" - Hakyeon replied in a calm tone.

  "Your sister, she used to live with you in your room. But after she grew up into a teen, she had to move to a different room. So you started to change your voice and talked to her. As Lucifer." 

  "Hmm…. I got really mad when she started living away from me. So what she was growing up… she was my little sister. Tch… So I started to scare her, so she gets scared and started to live with me again." 

  "You talked to your father using that tone as well." 

  "Yes." 

  "You wanted to scare him?" 

  "Yes… It was needed." 

  "You gave a fake description of your mother’s death. You wrote Ethane died by falling from the same spot as your mother, but your mother didn’t die in that house." 

  "It’s true that not in the house, but she did die by falling from a terrace." 

  "Your old electricity bills, I skimmed through them. I found a fascinating info from them. You weren’t in that house for 5 whole months." 

  "You are trying to point that we went out to deliver Ethane’s child into this world. But clearly wrote that in the autopsy she did not have any child in her womb." 

Taekwoon sighed –" can’t it be possible that in those five months you were hiding? That child was brought into this world, but you had sent him for adoption…"

 " Taekwoonie, you wanted to drink coffee, go ahead. Tell Wonshik to make it."

 " I didn’t keep him home today, I didn’t want him to hear our conversation. I have an acquaintance named Han Sanghyuk. I left him at his place, he will stay there whole day, they can watch anime. I will have to make the coffee myself. You?"

 " Yes, make one for me as well."

Taekwoon entered the room with two mugs filled with coffee. He saw Hakyeon’s back tremble a little. He wore a white button up shirt with long sleeves, with white jeans. His shirt was damp at some places, sweating even after sitting in a room where the AC was running fine. He walked forward to hand him his cup, his eyes was red, tears clinging onto his long eyelashes were the proof of him crying. A silent cry..

  "You can lit the cigarette if you like to.." 

Taekwoon didn’t, rather he took a sip from his cup.

  "Finish your talking." 

  "The call from a lady and a man to the police station about your father killing Ethane, seems really mysterious. I went to your old house, there are a lot of trees and branches around it, hiding the house perfectly. It’s quite amazing how someone saw your father from an apartment from far. Over that, she even mentioned the color of your father’s dress, yellow, something that she saw in the dusk, through the branches and leaves of trees. Did your father wore yellow dress that day?"

 " Yes."

Taekwoon took a long sip from his cup, eyes locked into Hakyeon’s.

 " I believe that those two calls were made by you. One using a lady’s voice and the next one was your own."

 " Why would I call?" – Hakyeon was appalled but Taekwoon also knew, he was a great actor by then. And his eyes were really expressive.

  "2 reasons, So that your father don’t doubt you, another is so your father believe that it was done by Lucifer. Lucifer took your father’s form and pushed her off from the terrace." 

  "So you believe that I had pushed Ethane from the terrace?" 

  "I’m certain about that." 

  'Every killer has a motive. Then what is mine?"

 " If I tell you the whole story in another way then you will understand. Shall I?"

 " Please do. But I have another question. You think I am a Horrifying murderer. Almost close to Satan Lucifer. If so, then why would I come to you for help? Why would I need you?"

  " Can I reply to the second question later? First let me turn the story upside down, shall I?"

  " I’m listening."

  " You have written that your sister had died just the way your mother had. So, it’s obvious that you killed your own mother, by the same tactic, pushing her of the edge. Why? That I dunno. I’m not clear on that part but, I think your father had some doubt about your mother’s death. And to get rid of that doubt you used the presence of Lucifer. Do you want another cup of coffee? It seems your one is already finished."

  " No "– His voice trembled.

  " Want me to stop?"

  " Can’t you just keep on saying whatever you are saying? Why do you ask these useless questions?"

Taekwoon continued –" I’m going to bring upon a few changes, hope that don’t affect you that much. But doing this will, clear up this mess a little. Ethane really did get pregnant. But the child was not aborted. The five months, that was the time when he saw the light of this world. Then you had sent him away for adoption. Surely Ethane was against that idea. Your father was blind about this whole process. But she wanted your father to know, she wanted that child to be with her. And you felt the need to keep her quiet. She was no less stubborn than you, and it was natural that she would do what she had once uttered. Even after making her understand that situation many times, you couldn’t trust her. Could you now? Am I right?"

  "  Go on."

 " I read three whole chapter. You have never mentioned your wife anywhere. I know very little… well nothing about her. Except that she is sick. I don’t know because you do not want me to know. What’s her illness?"

  " The doctors can’t tell. I showed her to the doctors of both within country and abroad. At first there were a few symptoms of cancer. But now it doesn’t seem like it. As days go by, she becomes even weaker. Can’t eat anything, can’t digest."

  " She’s losing hair? 

Hakyeon’s eyes widened and he parted his lips a little, before shutting it again. Taking a deep breath he replied – yes.

   "There’s a thing called Heavy metal poisoning. If you mix a little amount of heavy metal in water like Arsenic, Antimony or Lead, then it will start to affect the victim’s body in such a way that even the doctors wouldn’t be able to catch what it is. It starts with the hair fall. This easy idea of killing someone using heavy metal poisoning can only be formed in the head of a chemist. Understand?"

 " Understood…"

 " The thought of erasing this lady from this world had come upon you because you fear that she will know all about you. You wanted to protect your child. The one that you loved even more than your sister. Uh…. One thing! You wrote a lot about the tutor, Park Hyoshin, his touch, you enjoying it and other shit…. Your sister loved him, right?"

  " Yes…."

  " And you wanted me to think that he was the father of the child of your sister?"

 " Yes….."

" Then you shouldn’t have written description about her skin that much. You didn’t enjoy his touch, you liked his slick movement. How his hands moved, but yes you did enjoy your sister’s quiver at his touch though. But that also brought fear upon your thoughts. You wanted to be her first, you had desired to have her for so long but she only grew distant, even separating her room. That is why you called her Binnie.. to forget that she was your own sister. You are the father of her child, correct?"

  " Yes…"

" Now, shall I reply why you came to me?"

  " I’m waiting."

" Serial killers are really egoistic. They grow to believe that nobody have the ability to notice their crime. They love to play mind games. They find massive pleasure in seeing the opponent lose. You came here to play mind games with me. There’s another reason though, you needed a good place for your child. You have noticed that I always used “He” whenever I mentioned your child right? It could be a she, but you didn’t protest. So Hakyeon-ah, isn’t Wonshik your son?"

  " Yes…"

  " The letter that you wrote in your file, it’s not written by Ethane. It’s written by you. You killed your sister, but you felt the guilt of killing your own child’s mother. That is why, you tried to be his mother and father. He calls you  _umma…_  however it seems you failed to become the father. And yes, Ethane studied in literal arts, I don’t think she knew what Formaldehyde does with water. I don’t think I could have solved it if the letter was missing in that file."

Hakyeon dissolved into heavy sobs, his frame shaking uncontrollably. Taekwoon again continued,

 " Let me tell you a few lines of Shakespeare. I believe you know these lines

  - _And my ending is despair_

_Unless I be relieved by prayer,_

_As you from crimes would pardoned be,"_

Hakyeon wiped the tears with the back of his palm – " _But release me from my bands_

_With the help of your good hands."_

   "What do you think about confessing to the cops? "– he whispered softly, a cozy warmth in his tone.

   "If you tell me to then I will."

    "What you want to do is up to you. I don’t advise anyone. Ah! One thing though! You said that you will let me meet your father. He is a great noble man. I want to meet him. Do you know what a noble man does? When he touches someone with his hand he consumes all his darkness within himself. Amazing right?"

Hakyeon kept quiet and stared at him for a while. He bit his lip before parting it a little.

   "Taekwoon-ah…..Can I, before I leave, for once feel the touch of your hand?"

Taekwoon didn’t say anything, he got up and stood before the rocking chair, looking at Hakyeon with an icy stare. Hakyeon didn’t look up.

No words left Taekwoon’s mouth. But he offered his hand to take the other ones in his.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope it wasn't that bad. Do leave a comment please!!!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it.comments are ALWAYS Appreciated and Leave a kudos if you like it till the end. If you like it leave a comment as why you like it. If you hate it then also leave a comment as of why... Thanks for reading this far!!!


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